This Is What You Are To Me
by Ikitsumi
Summary: HaganeShipping Roark x Riley , oneshot. Byron's heading out to the Canalave Gym even though Roark just arrived, and lets him know that Riley's going to show up because it's been so long since they've seen each other. Roark is confused about his feelings.


**Yo guys~! This is a HaganeShipping fanfic. My first shonen-ai Pokemon fic, actually. I had some Zemyx before, but my computer crashed and those were all lost...so I wrote this. HaganeShipping is a newfound interest of mine, and an OTP as well.**

**Characters belong to Pokemon.**

* * *

"Hey Dad!" Roark said with a wide smile, setting his hard hat on the mahogany table that was beside him as he stepped through the door and into the kitchen of his father's house on Iron Island. His red hair turned a bit darker as he stepped into the dimly lit room. The ceiling fan whirred lightly above his head, making his hair bob a little bit.

"Roark, my son! How have you been? You really don't come to visit too often," Byron said with an even bigger smile, striding to his son to give him a suffocating hug. It didn't seem as if the slender body of Roark could handle his father's muscular arms. The man's spiky hair pressed against his son's head, as did the strangely-cut beard and sideburns he had.

"Like you can talk!" Roark retorted in a friendly manner, then hugged his dad back. "It's hard leaving the gym while you're a Gym Leader, and I didn't realize that until now. I get trainers visiting everyday!" The red-head exclaimed, putting a hand to his head. "Luckily for me though, I don't have anyone to challenge today," Roark said with a sigh of relief. "It's good to relax for awhile," he added with a smile, fixing his glasses when his father's hug had moved them from their usual perch.

"Bah...I have a couple of battles today," Byron grumbled, getting two cups and pouring some coffee for him and his son. From what Roark could see, his father had grown more muscular, and had also grown a strange-looking beard with sideburns. Just the look of it made Roark want to burst into laughter.

Roark stifled his laugh and took a seat at the table. He accepted the mug from Byron and drank. "Do you need me to watch the house?" Roark asked him once he finished halfway.

"I've got it handled already. Oh! Riley should be coming sometime today, but I'll probably be busy battling," Byron told Roark. "He said he wanted to see you," Byron continued.

"Really?" Roark asked, a surprised look crossing his face. He smiled after that. "I haven't seen him for so long! How much has he changed?" Roark asked him.

"You'll see for yourself," Byron grinned, then finished off the coffee. A phone on the other side of the room rang. Byron stood up and answered it. "Yeah? They've arrived? Hm...Tell them that I'll be there in about 20 minutes," he said, then nodded.

"Time for battles!" Byron boomed, then waved a hand to Roark as he strode to the door. "We'll talk afterwards, my son!" He said in his loud voice, going to a ship that was awaiting him by the island's edge. Obviously it had been sent there for him.

"Good luck, Dad!" Roark called after him. He had confidence his dad would win. After all, Roark aimed to be just as good as Byron was, especially after all those years of watching his dad win battle after battle. He watched the ship depart while standing by the window, then sat down to finish the coffee and to go watch Sinnow Now! for about 10 minutes.

Roark turned around with his heart pounding from the sudden sound of someone knocking on a door. He turned the TV off and approached the door, seeing a silhouette through the stained glass window on the door.

"...Hello?" A man's voice called, startling Roark.

Roark paused with his hand on the doorknob. "Who is it?" He replied back loudly, and he thought he saw the man flinch a little bit from the sudden volume.

"Roarkie? Is that you?" Came the man's voice. "Open the door, you have to let me see how much you've grown! It's Riley! Do you remember?" He added in what seemed to be excitement.

Roark turned the doorknob to reveal a raven-haired man. He wore what seemed to be a navy blue hat with slits in the back to create three even spikes. Part of his bangs covered one of his eyes, but the other was glimmering blue. He wore a black turtleneck with the emblem of a Groudon's arm symbol, covered by a blue professional-looking jacket that matched the hat's color. The boots and pants were black, as was the inside of the jacket.

"Riley, Dad was right...you have changed," Roark said softly, staring at the man who once used to be not so eccentric-looking. Even so, it seemed to suit him quite well.

There was a curious look in Riley's eyes. "And you've changed too, Roark. The last time I saw you was 10 years ago...Byron did say, and I agree, that you've matured into a fine young man," Riley remarked, a smile crossing his face and putting a hand on Roark's shoulder.

Roark smiled, his face red with a bit of embarrassment. "Thanks, Riley...Oh! Geez, where are my manners? Come in and have a seat," Roark said with a flustered look, and stepped back to let Riley come in.

The aura-user took off his blue hat, letting the mass of black hair spike up. "It's really dark in here," he said, frowning as he looked around. "I keep telling him to change the electricity around here..." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I don't know why though...Guess Dad has some weird taste for the darkness or something," Roark shrugged, rolling his eyes. "That's Dad for you though," he chuckled.

"I'll go wait outside, it's much brighter and the weather is beautiful. We should go for a walk," Riley suggested, setting his hat on the table beside Roark's hard hat.

Roark nodded in acknowledgement and looked around. "There should be a key around here that locks up the house," he muttered.

"Is this it?" Riley asked, handing a thick silver key to Roark. He placed the key in Roark's gloved hand and stepped outside.

Roark's heart was pounding in a way that confused the young Gym Leader. "It has been very long since I have seen him...but seeing him with this...with this weird reaction...it's a totally new experience."

Riley watched as Roark locked up the house and tuck the key safely in his pants pocket. "So how has the Oreburgh Gym been?" He asked Roark once they began their little excursion around Iron Island.

Roark sighed, looking up with a frown. "It's the same as always. The people that come have lots of different Pokemon, though the beginning trainers try to take me on with Starly sometimes," Roark stopped frowning and chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets.

"They'll learn in time," Riley replied, lifting his head and letting the wind blow against his spiky raven hair. "The island seems to be more enjoyable for a hike today. The weather truly is beautiful," Riley remarked, looking at Roark. "But perhaps, it is because you are here today, and you have seen your father, that the world has gotten a little brighter. Nothing can be as genuine as the relationship a father and son can share," he added, smiling as he continued to walk.

"Haha, now I can actually understand what you're saying," Roark laughed, looking into the sky. A flock of Wingull flew overhead, but otherwise, there was a grapefruit-colored sky with the sunset in the distance.

Riley chuckled. "You aren't the little kid that used to pick up every rock he saw," he smiled.

"I still do from time to time...i-if it looks cool enough," Roark contradicted with hints of both embarrassment and pride. "But Riley, what have you been up to?" Roark asked the aura-user, fixing his glasses.

"I've been here on Iron Island. I generally help trainers that come here to train...the mine shut down long ago, so the wild Pokemon here are helpful for trainers preparing to take on your father. He sends a lot here because of his training methods," Riley said, looking up thoughtfully.

"He pushed me pretty hard," Roark sighed, remembering how tough the training was with his dad. "But it's because he pushed me hard that I'm independent and a Gym Leader now. Even with that weird facial hair, he's still my Dad and I nothing will ever change that," the red-head said with a confident smile.

"That's what I expect out of you, Roarkie," Riley smiled, patting Roark's head. "But what about me though, Roark? ...What am I to you?" He asked, no longer walking.

Roark slowed to a stop as well. What was Riley to him? Perhaps like an older brother? No, because Riley wasn't brotherly or a babysitter; the two used to hang out so much during childhood. "I...I-I'm not sure," Roark admitted, a twinge of guilt embedded in his voice.

"But to me, you are a precious friend," Riley told Roark, making the Gym Leader whirl around in surprise. He frowned as Roark began to talk.

"A friend? But...we haven't seen each other in 10 years, Riley..." Roark mumbled, hiding his face with his bangs. "How can we be friends if we haven't been around each other in so long?" Roark questioned him.

"Perhaps you were thinking something else?" Riley suggested, then leaned down and kissed Roark's cheek lightly.

Roark froze then, his face instantly going red. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion and his heart was pounding wildly, as if it was trying to tell him to return the favor.

"Ah...Forgive me, Roarkie...I-I didn't mean to lose control like that," Riley muttered, turning his face away hurriedly. Roark could see that Riley was also blushing.

Both men stood there in an awkward silence, the red on their faces eventually fading.

Roark sighed. "Dad might be home soon. He'll probably want you to stay for dinner," he said with a shy smile.

Riley grinned sheepishly. "That'd be nice," he said softly. Before he knew it, Roark had wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly. Riley didn't know what to make of it, then hesitantly hugged Roark back.

"You sure we're just friends? Or were you thinking something more, maybe?" Roark whispered into Riley's ear with a smile.

Riley's blue eyes grew wide, then settled back into a peaceful state. "It's up to you to decide," he replied back ever so quietly. Riley looked at Roark with that tranquil smile, the sunset reflected in his eyes and on Roark's glasses.

Both of them stood there, in each other's arms, until Riley caught the look in Roark's eyes. "And so it shall be," Riley thought with a smile accompanying the thought. Roark smiled back, knowing exactly what Riley was thinking, and leaned in to lay his lips upon those of the aura-user, placing them there just as softly as Riley had spoken moments earlier.

_Fin_


End file.
